X-ACTO

X-ACTO was founded in 1917 by Sundel Doniger from New York City. The company started by producing syringes for the medical profession, and in the early 1930's began manufacturing precision surgical blades with a unique handle that accommodated a variety of interchangeable, replaceable scalpels. However, the X-ACTO blade that became the industry standard was created when an X-ACTO advertising artist needed a retouching knife. Doniger created one from his employee's sketch, and it worked so well that the company began manufacturing the product for other artists and hobbyists. X-ACTO created a tool division for the hobby market in 1960, which continued to grow until 1981, when Hunt Corp purchased X-ACTO and House of Miniatures, a subsidiary of X-ACTO. Since 1987, Hunt Corp has created new X-ACTO products through their New Product Development Department. The result - advances such as the X-ACTO Gripster art knife, X-ACTO snap-off knives and blades, X-ACTO brand foam board cutter, and the X-ACTO X2000 knife. The X2000 displayed X-ACTO's commitment to design and function by winning the 1996 Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. This was just the beginning of a precision-through-design trend that continues through the entire X-ACTO product line today. Today X-ACTO is part of the Elmer's® family of brands. Together with Elmer's, X-ACTO shares a strong commitment to developing innovative new products and re-designing current products to exceed customer expectations.